A Late Night Wake Up
by HeidiSue715
Summary: Steph suffers another disaster but will her man of mystery finally step up to the plate? Cupcake warning Sorry I had to re-format it I think its fixed now!


A Late Night Wake Up

Chapter One

By HeidiSue

_AN: All the characters belong to JE I just thought they deserved better. Let me know if you want more. Cupcake Warning. Not Morelli Friendly Rated for later chapters_

I walked into the control room, noticing that it was already 10 o'clock. I hadn't been sleeping well lately and I was loathed to admit why. We had two new recruits on monitors and Cal was overseeing both of them, but I needed to relieve him for dinner. There is only so much you can ask of one man and Cal looked like he was at his peak. All RangeMen were expected to watch the monitors, but the only time they wanted to was when a certainly curly haired brunette entered the office. Steph got all the mens' hearts pumping, and she had no clue. There was no more beautiful person on the planet than her, the way her hair curled around her heart shaped face and those beautiful azure eyes that shined like diamonds. Christ, I could get hard just thinking about her, but not now. Definitely not now.

For the next hour I watched the new men. They would make good RangeMen, both just out of the Rangers and in top condition. They were perfect "Merry Men" a moniker Steph gave all the guys at RangeMan. Snake and Goose were pilots just out of the Army, who knew how they earned those names, but it was enough to earn them a spot here at RangeMan.

Ram, Cal and Hector came in a few minutes later. I filled them in on the action with the Johnson account early this evening and told them to watch out for the jeweler on West 7th street. There had been a lot of break-ins in that area and the owner was a bit nervous. I brought both the newbies with me and we had coffee and a bit of late night snack in the break room before I sent them home for the night. The office was quiet, but the hum of monitors and computers was a steady background noise. There were only four of us on duty right now. Two on monitors and one on standby besides myself. I turned to walk out of the room and head for my apartment when Ram's voice cut over the noise.

"Shit! Bomber's car just went off line!" He yelled as we all jumped into action. Hector was triangulating her position with his maps and I was on the phone with Lester and Tank. Cal was pulling up video feed from near her location, but nothing would be close enough. Ram was calling dispatch to let them know of a possible vehicle incident and give them her position, but I was out the door and down the stairs in seconds.

Hector called just as I jumped into the nearest vehicle and raced up the ramp.

"She was at the 7-11 on Brooks Ave. Ram's got two blue and whites and EMTs on the way."He yelled into the phone, then paused "Someone called it in as a fire man. The TFD is en route. We don't know anything else." His tone was flat, betraying no emotion, but I knew what he was saying.

"Jesus Christ, how the hell does this always happen to her?" I wondered out loud and pushed the truck faster, not caring how many lights I blasted through to get to her. I switched the scanner on and listened in as Trenton's finest went to work. She was important to them, too, and I knew they would be scrambling to the scene.

"Who has she been after lately?" I questioned. "Get me a list of all her skips in the last month and find out where they are. I want this handled now," I told him my voice a harsh bark. Then I threw the phone onto the other seat and silently begin to pray.

How did this woman do this to me? I'm a mercenary, hard as steel, cold as ice. I was a trained, dedicated warrior. I had taken down Columbian Cartels and invaded Iraqi palaces. I had stared down the barrel of a gun or heard the swish of a knife within an inch of my own face, but nothing compared to the fear coursing through me now. We aren't made for home and hearth, but, oh god, how this woman made me wish for more.

"What the hell happened this time?" I yelled to myself, the noise reverberating in the sleek expensive interior. The truck mocked me even now. Why did she insist on driving those POS cars when she could drive a RangeMan vehicle any day she wanted? We could install bomb sensors and the best security system available. Hell, she could have the pick of the lot and we would all sleep sounder at night. But no, this woman was much too independent to accept charity even if it came with the perks of the job. She could have been in a safe car with airbags and safety harnesses and, hell, even bulletproof glass for her. Instead, she had to be driving another one of her disaster cars, and God only knew what happened to it. I just prayed she was safe.

I knew from experience that she had incredible luck. Even Murphy couldn't be blamed for the situations this woman got herself in, but somehow she always survived and I prayed even now that would be the case. If she had been driving big blue, that monster car of her grandmother's, I know she'd be fine. Hell, if she had just stayed home she'd have had a better chance. 7-11, I thought to myself, I bet she was on a late night sugar run. Christ and I had told her to lay off the sweets, the stuff would kill her. Never had my own words mocked me more.

I edged the truck faster, my need to see her all consuming now. To know that she was alive and well, to hold her even for the briefest of moments and see that brilliant smile. I knew what she would be saying. 'It wasn't my fault, I swear' and I, didn't even care. I would move heaven and earth to protect her from the scum out there, but nothing seemed good enough to protect her from herself. As I pulled into the lot, I knew I would be the first on scene and I thanked God for that. Morelli would be here soon enough and I knew my time with her was limited.

I threw the truck in park and frantically looked around for her, sensing she was nearby and waiting for me. It was inevitable when Bomber went off the screen that RangeMan would be thrown into red alert. Even now, I knew the Tank and Lester were racing to catch up with me.

I searched the scene in front of me taking in the flaming car to my left and the frantic sales clerk trying to calm everyone along with the collection of late night owls come to watch the scene. And then I saw her. My heart lept when I finally found her. The mop of unruly hair hiding her face. She was sitting on the curb in front of the store, legs drawn up close to her chest hugging, herself.

At the sound of my truck screeching to a stop, she looked up, searching me out. Our eyes locked and I swear my heart jumped in my chest. Good God, what this woman could do to me with a look. Bare seconds past and I felt my blood began to boil as I took her in. She had soot on her face and her hands were scraped up pretty bad. She looked as if the explosion had thrown her across the lot. She would need that ice cream for sure now. The knees in her jeans were torn out and I knew she would be pissed. Those were her favorite pants she said they were her 'perfect butt jeans'. I smiled at her, the full 1000 watts, and made my way to her side in a heartbeat.

She melted into my arms and I just held her. Taking in the smell of her, even flame roasted she smelled like heaven. Her small frame fit perfectly against my body and I held her in my arms, rocking her back and forth. I rubbed small circles in her back and whispered to her gently in Spanish, using everything I could to calm her.

She seemed to draw strength from me. So I was content to just hold her as long as I could, relishing the feel of her against me and knowing that I would not have a chance to do this again soon. I breathed her scent in, holding her close, and sheltering her from the heat. As sirens careened into the scene and screeched to a halt, fire trucks arrived to put out the blaze.

"God, your freezing cold" I wondered out loud. How could she still be cold with all this heat around her. Was she going into shock?

"**Don't you know women are like ovens? We need five to fifteen minutes to heat up,"** she told me with a small smile on her face. "It's only been about three minutes. You got here fast, ya know" Steph told me, with a beautiful grin spreading across her face, but not quite reaching her eyes.

She pulled back from me a little and I took the time to assess her face and read her mood. She thought all RangeMen had ESP, but really she was just easy to read. All her emotions showed across her eyes like a movie, one I never tired of watching. Her deep blue eyes were calm now, collected. But there was something hiding in the back and, if I didn't know better, I would say it was fear.

This stopped me dead in my tracks. The Bombshell Bounty Hunter does not do fear. Denial, definitely. Anger, of course. But what could have happened to put that fear in my beautiful angel's eyes? What had been going on with her lately? I know I hadn't seen her in a few days, but what could have happened? Did she pick up a new stalker?

"It wasn't my fault," she whispered. The declaration falling off her lips naturally after so many accidents when she wasn't to blame. It wasn't her fault she collected crazies and stalkers like kids collected baseball cards.

"I know it wasn't. Never is," I replied, the relief apparent in my voice, even to me. I drew a shaky hand threw my hair and released her as the EMTs headed over. I had a job to do. Enough with the lovesick teenager routine. She needed me strong now and I could do that for her. As long as I knew she was safe, I could be strong for the both of us. It was what she had come to depend on and now I could see her own strength hanging on by a thread.

I looked her over carefully checking her hands and knees and asking where she was injured. Holding her small delicate hand in my large palm, I marveled at the contrast between her beautiful white flesh, now torn and bleeding with my darker skin. Did she even understand what she meant to me? She was the light in my life. She was for all of us. A shining angel in the darkness of our world. The only thing that made this job bearable some days was her tinkling laughter or the brilliant smile on that expressive face. Good God, what I wouldn't give to have her smile at me that way every day. To spend a lifetime making her smile.

Christ, this woman would be the end of me and I had better snap out of it now. The scene of her latest disaster was no place to go pouring my heart out. I had been biding my time. Watching her, waiting for the day she might be ready, ready for us. Ready for more than she got from him. But I knew if I didn't do it soon my someday would never come.

The man approaching now from across the parking lot would make sure of that. Morelli was a good cop, but he was not good enough for Steph. She knew it deep down in her heart. Hell, we all knew it. They made each other miserable. A few weeks ago, she called it quits with him and all of RangeMan was on tenterhooks to see what would play out next.

She froze against my body, instantly bracing herself for the argument that was to come. Their fights were legendary and none of us could stand the way he tore her apart. Right now was not the time for her to deal with him. She needed to get to the ambulance and get her hands wrapped up. As Steph froze against me, I felt her draw her hands back and pull back into herself.

Our moment was gone and I dreaded her next words as much as I longed for them at the same time. I knew she would thank me and tell me she was fine, with a smile, that brittle smile she used when inside I was hoping she wanted more. One day I would be able to take her home with me. One day I would be able to heal all her pain and keep her safe with me. One day she would know how I truly feel. One day...

She looked up into my face with those brilliant blue eyes and my heart was ready to burst. I could tell her now. Tell her she didn't need him. Tell her I loved her and I wanted to give her everything.

But instead I offered her a small smile and tucked my finger under her chin, holding her to me as I scanned her face for any sign. A sign of what? I don't know. Hope, longing, sorrow, love? What did I expect to see?

"I'm just glad you're all right."I don't even want to think about if she had been in the car when it exploded. If I had lost her tonight, before she even knew how I truly felt, my life would be worthless. Hell, my life wouldn't even have a purpose without her in it. She kept me sane. She kept me grounded even as I watched her try to fly. The 'what if's' played through my mind just like the nightmares that kept me up at night. My life was not meant to share with others. I had enemies. I had done things she couldn't even imagine. Killed for my country, committed horrible sins I would never be free of. She wasn't a part of that world; she was too good for all of it. Too good for me. "It's my job to keep you safe." I told her.

Her gorgeous smile broke through my thoughts and I was pulled into her, mesmerized by her eyes. Waiting for her next words as I always did. Knowing it was all I would get for now.

"I'm always safe with you," she replied sincerely. I saw a sliver of hope in her eyes as she searched my face. I had kept my features blank this whole time, carefully hidden beneath my cool, professional exterior. I couldn't let my true feelings show or she would know how far gone I truly was.

I was surprised by her words, caught off guard. Did she really feel that way? Did I even have a right to hope she might feel more? Maybe we could have our day, maybe even one day soon.

"Thanks Bobby," she whispered firmly, her head now pillowed in my chest once again and my heart swelled at hearing my name fall from her lips. I just cradled her to me, welcoming her body to mine, as my heart ached for more.


End file.
